About
About Black Health
We're a health information platform built by and for Black communities — independent, evidence-based, and reporting on Black health since 2002.
Black Health exists to close the information and access gap in Black healthcare. Since 2002, we have published evidence-based health information written with Black communities in mind, maintained a directory of Black health professionals practicing across the United States, and built tools that help Black patients find the culturally competent care they deserve. We are not a substitute for medical care — we are a complement to it. Everything we publish is written for adults making real decisions about their own health and that of their families, and reviewed for accuracy against primary sources and current clinical guidelines.
Since 2002, Black Health has covered the intersection of race, medicine, and community well-being for Black patients and families across the United States. In our early years, we reported on the HIV/AIDS crisis as it devastated Black communities disproportionately — a disparity that federal health agencies had been slow to address. Through the 2010s we expanded into sickle cell disease advocacy, mental health access, and the growing body of evidence documenting racial bias in clinical care. The 2020s brought renewed national attention to what Black patients had been documenting for decades: maternal mortality, algorithmic discrimination in diagnostic tools, and the compounding effects of structural racism on chronic disease outcomes.
Black health outcomes in the United States tell a story of systemic neglect. Black mothers die in childbirth at three times the rate of white mothers. Black men live on average four years fewer than white men. Black patients are less likely to receive adequate pain management, more likely to have symptoms attributed to non-medical causes, and less likely to be referred to specialists. These disparities are not mysteries — they are the documented outcome of centuries of discrimination in medicine, medical research, medical education, and health policy.
At the same time, Black clinicians, researchers, doulas, therapists, and public health practitioners have been doing extraordinary work — often under-recognized and under-funded. Over two decades of reporting has taught us that the infrastructure of Black health — community health workers, HBCUs producing Black physicians, faith-based health programs, and mutual aid networks — is as important as any federal policy change. Connecting Black patients to Black providers consistently improves clinical outcomes. Black women cared for by Black doctors during childbirth have dramatically better survival rates. Black men who see Black primary care doctors receive more preventive services and report greater trust.
What we do
- Publish original and syndicated health journalism centered on Black communities — from reporting on maternal mortality policy to evergreen guides on managing sickle cell disease, hypertension, and mental health.
- Maintain a searchable, verified directory of Black health professionals across specialties — from primary care and psychiatry to doulas, registered dietitians, and pelvic floor physical therapists.
- Produce accessible video and audio explainers on common health conditions, treatments, and systems navigation.
- Amplify the voices of Black clinicians, researchers, and patients through our newsletter and community partnership programs.
Our editorial independence
Black Health has maintained editorial independence since our founding. No advertiser, sponsor, or directory partner has ever influenced what stories we pursue, how we frame them, or the clinical conclusions we reach. In more than two decades of Black health reporting, that independence has been the foundation of the trust our readers place in us. It is non-negotiable.
What we are not
We are not a medical provider. We do not diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, or offer personalized medical advice. Content on this site is for information and education only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your specific health situation. If you think you might be experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
The team
Black Health is a small team of health journalists, technologists, and patient advocates.
Black Health is small by design. We're a focused team of health journalists, technologists, and patient advocates building the infrastructure Black communities deserve. We grow carefully, prioritizing depth over scale.
We're hiring. If you're a Black health journalist, product designer, or software engineer who cares about this work, check our careers page or reach out directly.